The Echani Jedi
by Tsiriu
Summary: This story runs alongside KOTOR. It is the story of another Exile from the Mandalorian Wars. Stripped of the Force by the Jedi Counsel, he is sent to the most remote planet in the galaxy, and finds his destiny, and his love. R&R please!
1. The Exile

Disclaimer: Lucasarts owns all storyline events from the Star Wars: Knights of the  
Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords game, as well as locations with the exception of Reloria and all towns and cities within it, as well as all characters beyond Relador Kae, with more to come.

Author: This is my newest story that I am writing. Depending on how this one does, I may decide to put my other ones on. Some are personal, and I will not put them on this site or any other unless situations change. I hope you enjoy this story, it is the first that I wrote to be shown. It is set alongside the game Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords. It is the story of another person exiled from Republic space, though he was not a jedi before he left for the war.

"You have accompanied Revan and Malak into the Mandalorian War against the orders of the Jedi Counsel on Corescaunt. It is the decision of all the Jedi Counsels that you be exiled and cut off from the Force permanently. You are to be hauled off to the most remote planet in the Outer Rim, Reloria. You will be left there. If the Force deems you to be worthy of mercy, you may be able to find a small home or someway to carve out a living in the harsh, unforgiving planet. Leave the Counsel Chamber at once. You may ask your questions Relador Kae." The black-haired Jedi Master said, giving Relador the worst of all punishments that a Jedi can possibly acquire. "You would do this to one of your own kind? You would turn his life into nothing but a living death? You are just like the Dark Jedi! I cannot believe I ever followed you! You speak of destroying the darkness, bringing peace to the galaxy and yet look at what you would do to your own kind! It disgusts me to see your faces! To think that an order so far in the Light could be so corrupted! When does my shuttle leave because I can no longer bear the sight of you?" Relador said, his face showing disbelief and awe. In minutes, all of his beliefs were crushed, all that he knew was crumbling beneath his very feet. "The shuttle to Reloria leaves as soon as you get on. You may leave now." Another Jedi Master said, this one a snow-white-haired woman. "Good Atris. And don't think for a second that, if I find you, that I will hesitate to kill you after I find out why you decided to put this curse upon me!" Relador yelled, his fury bursting through his mental barriers. "But first, your excommunication." The entire counsel said as they all stood up. "What the, what is this? I, I can't move!" Relador exclaimed, a cold numbing sensation filling his heart. What are you doing? The, the Force, no! I can't feel it anymore." Relador said, his voice trailing off. "You will leave now, and you will remember little past this day. You will not remember the Force or the affairs of the Jedi Order. Leave this place at once, your place is on Reloria. Go now, or face dire consequences." Jedi Master Kavar said, his voice heavy with the Force. The exile left the room, his thoughts confused and chaotic, so much so that none of the Jedi along his path to the Landing Pads could see beyond. "He is empty of the Force, we must leave him be. He is an Exile, the first in nearly three centuries. He must have done horrible things to people in order for them to strip" "Hush! You just said he is not to know!" "He is the Exile? He looks empty, and he feels even more so." came the voices of many of the nearby Jedi. The Exile did not know what they were talking about. He figured he was here simply to get a new home since his was destroyed. He got in the shuttle and left for, what he thought, was his new home on Reloria.

Reloria is a harsh planet with little peace. There are monsters attacking almost constantly. As they passed by a small farming village, they watched as a large, bipedal creature, around twelve feet tall, tore a person apart, limb from limb, and ate him slowly. "Why do people live here?" Relador asked. His Jedi guardians remained silent. "Aren't you gonna answer me?" he said, wondering why they were so quiet. He figured this was a cold planet, it would explain the empty cold within him.

The silent Jedi and Relador arrived at a large city, much akin to what Relador saw on Nar Shadarr, the Smuggler's Moon. "Report to the Military Base for directions to your new house and weapons to get you there. Good luck living here, if the beasts don't kill you, then the inhabitants will!" one of the Jedi said. "Don't worry, I can handle myself in a fight. I have taken down a fully-grown Rancor with a Vibroblade and a Vibrosword." Relador said, his hands forming into fists. The two Jedi shoved him off of the shuttle, forcing him to land, face first, into the dirt. Spitting out sand, he cursed upon the Jedi, saying that they had become dark and corrupted. Just then, two Vibroblades fell from the shuttle, as well as a combat suit and a backpack full of parts, chemicals, components, and programming spikes and a Stealth Field Generator. "Everything I will need, with the exception of credits. Oh well, I can earn those fairly quickly." Relador said as he walked calmly towards the city.


	2. The Military Base

Relador Kae stepped through the door of the Military Base and found himself with ten heavy blaster rifles pointed at him. "I take it this is the military base? I was told to come here for relocation. I'm not gonna do anything, not that I could." He said, walking forwards. "Your bold and brave, two dangerous qualities. I could make some use of you. We will be attacked by a large group of those large beasts you saw as you came in. We will give you adequate armor and weaponry. I recommend you run before they get within melee range, unless you want death. You are to lead the expedition out of the city and strike the nest. Oh, did I forget to mention that you are the only person in the expedition? Ha! Good luck buddy! You'll need it." The commander said, laughing. "Trust me, I won't just give me one of those blaster rifles your men have and an Echani Battle Suit and I'll be fine. I have taken down bigger then that sucker before. I used to live on a planet with many Rancors. They are a bit big just to let you know, a bit bigger then these things. What are they called anyway?" "Devourers. They cripple their enemy using the Force, then they eat their prey, slowly so that they can hear the person's screams. I don't like you, so please only come back when every single egg and Queen are dead and I want the Queen heads. Here's your damned Battle Suit now get out of my sight." The commander replied, skeptical of Relador's combat prowess. "Thank you, I hope you die." Relador answered, meaning every word. He walked out of the door, giving a rather rude gesture as he slammed the door. He then heard a repeating blaster rifle shoot at the door. "Fool." Relador said as he used his computer spikes to hack into the door and not allow anyone to open it for a full week. "Let's see if you survive jackass." Relador said as the door locked. He walked away, an evil smile spreading across his face.

The next three years passed quickly, one mercenary job leading to another. It didn't take long before Relador had traveled most of the known galaxy. The other mercenaries had betrayed him and left him on the remains of Korriban. "I can get a way off here! I will return for your heads!" Relador yelled angrily. He turned around and walked towards Naga Sadow's tomb. "This place feels familiar, why? What is that sound?" he said curiously as he heard a strange, quiet whisper in the back of his mind. "Wait, is this what the Jedi feel before their trained? What if I could become…" he said, his voice trailing off as the whisper got a tiny bit louder. He could feel something in his heart as well, the cold was less cold. He knew what that cold was, and thousands of memories flew back. He nearly fell but a loud thump made his regain alertness. A Hssiss was coming for him, five could be seen. Relador knew that more would come. The Dark Dragons would feed off of those strong in the Force, and would devour them after knocking them out cold. "Not today! I have vengeance to claim!" Relador yelled as he drew his Echani Vibrosword and his Echani Vibroblade. He began by whirling the blades around, blocking the first strike and deflecting the rocks that were kicked at him. "Strange, their using strategy! The Hssiss never do that! Perhaps this is a test. Well, if it is then this is one test I will not fail!" he yelled as he lunged at the nearest target. The Vibroblade slashed through the Hssiss's head, spilling both blood and brain about the ground. He whirled around, letting go of the hilts and grabbing the ropes half a foot below. He now used the swords as numchuckes, whirling them around, slicing through many foes with a single revolution. In minutes, all were dead and bleeding out onto the ground. Relador sat down to clean his swords, and felt for the Force around him. He felt it, but it was a subtle feeling, like the feeling you get when you try to see when there is no light at all. He focused more, concentrated harder, and the feeling became a presence. He could feel the Force easily now, even through the many barriers put on him by the Jedi Counsel on Katarr. He knew now that he could use the Force, and create his own two Lightsabers from scratch. He knew where to find all the components, but he felt like personalizing it to his own self. He walked into the Shyrack Caves, seeking the crystal formations that lay within. Instead he found some extremely old ruins. As he tried to enter, he walked over a strange patch of ground that spewed forth lightning in very small amounts. Just then, he felt like his head was going to split in two. The feeling ceased as quickly as it had began. He knew what that meant, and he walked through the door.


	3. The Ruins

Disclaimer: Lucasarts owns all storyline events from the Star Wars: Knights of the  
Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords game, as well as locations with the exception of Reloria and all towns and cities within it, as well as all characters beyond Relador Kae, with more to come.

Author: This is gonna be a long one so bear with me please. Any criticism would be very helpful.

Y

The first thing Relador beheld was a large statue of three people, a tall, robed Dark Jedi with a mask, an average height man who looked like his body was decaying, and an old lady with a strange headdress. He walked along the hallway next to the statue and found a bookcase with a barely noticeable lever next to it. Relador drew one sword and pulled the lever. The floor below him opened up, revealing a spiked floor. "Oh shit!" Relador said as he plummeted towards his death. He closed his eyes and focused desperately, reaching out to the Force for aid in this disaster. He hit the ground hard, but it was flat ground. Relador had used the Force to flatten the spikes. He was knocked out cold by the force of the impact.

It wasn't for another couple hours that Relador awoke. He found himself laying in a room with two life sized statues. One of a teenage boy, the other, a teenage girl. They were in a sea of darkness and were reaching out for each other in Love. He could not see their faces, but found their presence somewhat familiar. "Warmth in this dark place? I must be at least a thousand feet underground, there can't be this much warmth here!" Relador said in his confusion.

"Relador Kae! You are the last of the Jedi and now you must die! You are gonna make me the richest person in the galaxy!" a Mandalorian bounty hunter behind Relador said loudly.

"Quiet. Before we fight, take a look at this Mandalorian. Take a look at why Revan fought as he did. Take a look at why you lost the Mandalorian Wars. Look at these two teenagers. What do you see?" Relador said rather calmly.

"I see blackness around them, like the lakes of Malachor V before it was destroyed. And I see they are reaching out to each other, hoping that they can help one another out." The Mandalorian said.

"That is why you lost. You see two people trying to save each other, a mutual benefit. What is there is the boy trying to save the girl knowing that if he does he will never live. The girl is attempting the very same thing. This, Mandalorian, is the true strength of a weapon used by Revan and the Jedi following him. Love. Its strength is beyond what you can fathom, or any of us. No one knows what Love really is, whether it is a weapon, a tool, an emotion, a bond, or something far more entirely. You now know why you lost the Wars, now, we do a duel. Echani rules. No weapons, no armor, no force, no adrenal stimulants, medpacks, or any other items. One on one fist combat. Take off all of your armor and put down your weapons. Now, we fight!" Relador said, his mouth giving off a small smile as he watched the Mandalorian charge at him. He simply stepped to the side and delivered a kick that would have killed a Horn Kath Hound. The Mandalorian went spiraling into the wall, cracking it.

"I will not loose to a fucking Jedi! I refuse it!" the Mandalorian yelled, charging exactly the same way as the last time. It yielded the same results, another bone-shattering kick.

"Foolish Mandalorian, you fight with your mind and body, but you need to fight with your Heart! You are neglecting passion! True skill and strength comes from the Heart! Fight with your Heart Mandalorian! Try this again!" Relador yelled, trying to teach his fighting style to another just in case he really does fall to the traps of this place. The Mandalorian didn't listen. "Idiot! I am telling you how to defeat me and yet still I am massacring you! If you will not listen, then you will die!" Relador yelled as he went on the offensive.

His foot tapped to an unheard music, and his attacks went along with the many different parts of the song. His arms fought alongside the Lead Guitar, his feet, the Rhythm Guitar, and his head with the Bass Drum. He twirled and danced just like his hands and feet were swords. The Mandalorian was completely caught off guard.

"Crap." He said as Relador's foot came around and smashed into the side of the Mandalorian's face, pulling away so quickly that the skin was pulled away, looking as if cut by a Vibroblade of incredible make. The Mandalorian ran for the exit, but a hand smacked hard into his throat, closing it so that he couldn't breathe.

"Now Mandalorian, you realize that you should have listened to my lessons, you could have been very rich indeed." Relador said as he walked back towards the statue.

"You have proved your worth in combat, young Force Sensitive. Our spirits were trapped in here during the time of the first Great Hunt for the Tarentatek. We grant you our equipment, however, the on my Love are for the girl that you will meet in your travels. You have earned the armor of the last Echani Jedi. You must venture further to gain your circlet, your two Lightsabers, your Stealth Field Generator, your Armband, your Shield, and your Gauntlets. You will find difficult foes inside this temple, be prepared and fight with the strength and skill of the Echani!" the statue of the boy said as his armor fell from his body and floated onto the ground in front of Relador.

"Thank you, and I will see to it that my Love does not fall to any!" Relador said, putting his new armor on. He picked up his swords, cleared his mind, and opened his heart, as well as the door to go forth into the tomb.

The door slammed shut as he walked through, making Relador spin around and slash the door, thinking it was another bounty hunter. He turned back around to find he was looking at a copy of himself. "What the? You're, you're me! But, but how?" he said, confused. The person said nothing, it just ignited its Lightsabers and charged. Relador had just barely enough time to get his swords up to block the attack before he would have been chopped in three.

Relador's foot began to tap again, this time to a slower, mellower tune. The copy did just the same, only to a more warlike tune. The two warriors ran at each other, parrying every attack and following through with one of their own. Relador danced and twirled, leaped and slashed. The two finally separated, the copy running out of energy. Relador however, was just getting started. His grip slipped from the hilts to the chains, the blades glowing bronze and orange. He charged, sending his blades in deadly circles and twists, each spewing forth more and more of his opponent's blood. In seconds, the copy was killed, but instead of simply falling to the ground, it faded away. "Well that's not something you see every day. Hey, it left its Lightsabers. Wait, that kid, in the last room… These are mine." Relador said as he sat down to catch his breath.

He opened them both up to find glittering crystals, each one glowing softly when Relador touched them. He also found that there was only the standard power sources, emitters, and focusing lenses. He closed them up and walked towards the next door.

The next door had an ancient terminal next to it, similar to the ones in the Tomb of Naga Sadow. "I doubt even a droid meant for computer use could slice this! I will just have to go through it the old fashioned way." He said as he placed his datapad on the indicated spot so that it would display the correct language. VERIFY NAME: the screen read.

"Okay, Relador Kae."

WELCOME RELADOR KAE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO START THE TRAINING SEQUENCE NOW? the screen displayed.

"Yes." Relador replied

TRAINING SEQUENCE ACTIVATED. TRAINING PROTOCOL: STORM BEAST. RELEASING COMBATANT. was the screen's final show before the lights all went out and the nearby portcullis raised upwards.

"Holy shit that thing's big!" Relador exclaimed as he drew his swords. The Storm Beast ran towards Relador, screaming with the Force's power. "Force Scream? Interesting, perhaps I can try?" he shouted, trying to hear himself over the beast. Relador yelled himself, putting both the Force and his own will into the sound. He had done this before, but that was to project emotions into his music and to calm raging crowds and beasts. The Storm Beast came to an instant stop, its hands grabbing at its ears, or where they should have been at least. "Nice! I've gotta learn more of this stuff!" Relador said happily.

TRAINING SESSION COMPLETE. I'M AFRAID THERE ARE NO MORE TRAINING SUBJECTS RELADOR KAE. YOU HAVE COMPLETED THIS TEST. THE PLASTEEL CANISTER NEXT TO THIS TERMINAL WILL NOW UNLOCK AND YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR SHIELD AND ARMBAND. GOOD LUCK! The computer read as the lights flickered on.

"Cool. Now, let's get these on shall we?" he said as he installed the shield into his new armor and put on his armband. He walked over to the next door, and found that there is a force field surrounding it. He knew what had to be done. He sat down with his legs crossed, closed his eyes, and concentrated on the energy around him. He could feel the planet, the ruins, the Force, and the force field. He took the energy from the force field and put it on the surface of the planet, opening the way forth into the Sith Library.


	4. The Arrival on Narr Shadarr

Disclaimer: Lucasarts owns all storyline events from the Star Wars: Knights of the  
Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords game, as well as locations with the exception of Reloria and all towns and cities within it, as well as all characters beyond Relador Kae, with more to come. And I'm sorry but I almost forgot, they also own the last name Kae.

Author: Talk about close encounters of the unwanted kind! And in case I didn't mention, this story has a DSM Revan and a DSM Exile(the one from the game).

Relador arose from his meditation after close to three hours, his first stimulus being the loud roar of a small starship's hyperdrive engine. "At last, a way off this damnable rock." He exclaimed as he stood up. He ran out the cave entrance, exiting just in time to see three people walking into the Academy. He noticed that one of them held two Lightsabers. Turning on his new Stealth Field Generator, he ran towards the ship's entrance ramp, only to hear the beeping of a T3 droid. He slowed down nearly to a standstill, but not before he tripped over a dead body, attracting several Hssiss. They came, but saw nothing. None of them had any idea what was happening until one of them began to choke, and another rose up into the air, again choking, only to fall down violently after its neck snapping. The Hssiss ran around in their confusion, making them all the more susceptible to Relador's Force assaults.

Shortly after the deaths of the Hssiss, an Iridonian man came out onto the entrance ramp.

"What was all the commotion about Teethree? Did something try to get onboard? I see dead bodies all around, but what killed them, there's no blaster wounds on any of them. T3, what's going on?" he said, looking at each of the corpses in turn.

"Dwooo. Bee beep dwo tweep?" the droid beeped in answer.

"No, none on the outside. This one looks like its lungs were violently collapsed, and this one look the same but its neck is also snapped in several places. All the other ones appear to have just died, I can't find anything wrong with them. I tell you, this place gives me the creeps T3." The Iridonian replied, walking back into the ship. "Come on, I'm gonna close the door." He added, looking back at the droid.

Hearing this, Relador sprinted for the ramp, his SFG allowing him silence of movement, even while running. He ran up the ramp, even as it rose up into the air. Relador was just barely able to jump through the space between hull and ramp before he was crushed between the two, not exactly the way he'd want to go. He ran into the storage room and hid a secret compartment that smelled like it once held spices. He typed the code RED-47 into his datapad so that he would be able to get out at will. He also spliced the security camera cables in with the second datapad he always kept with him, just in case.

"I understand why you worry, but I have fixed utility droids that were blown nearly in half and I have gotten them back to the way they were before the war even started. But if you don't trust in my abilities, or just don't trust me, I will not bother you anymore"

"T3, I served with Bao-Dur during the Mandalorian Wars, I've seen what he can do. He is the equivalent of a Jedi as far as healing droids goes. I trust in his abilities, possibly more then even he does! I believe that if there's anyone in this galaxy that can fix you up, it's him. Let him try, for me?"

"Dwooooo, Beep boo dwee boo bee."

"Sounds like their having an argument about some person named Bao-Dur's repair and computer use skills. Hmm, I wonder if he could fix up that old HK model I saw coming in? It looked like it was missing quite a few parts though, ones that aren't included in standard part packs. I wonder what's up in the bridge?" Relador said after checking out the Main Hold camera.

"Listen, I don't feel like having to fight a Jedi, even a crazy old bat like you. I know what he would do if I told him of my real past, and I do indeed remember the pact you forced me into you manipulative witch. I will get us to Narr Shadarr, and then you can find your own damn pilot because I am getting tired of sitting here all the time!" a young man said in an aggravated tone.

"Ah, but young and stupid Atton, that would be breaking your promise, remember? You also promised to stay as our pilot, and if we need your skill, whatever they might be, we will call upon you. Here, I daresay we will find a use for you, murderer. Just remember, if you reveal your past to him, he will cast you away, but I, I will kill you. Remember our pact, and act accordingly." An old lady with her hood covering the vast majority of her face said in a cold and threatening tone. Relador could see that she was missing one hand, and there was a burned stump where the wrist should have been.

"Why does she seem familiar? Perhaps it's that hair hanging out from the hood around her neck, it almost looks like something a young female Twilek would put on her head-tails. But she's no Twi-" Relador passed out before he could say any more.

He was on Malachor V, near a strangely familiar building. He saw the old hag from the Ebon Hawk, and remembered who she was. Darth Treya. He saw four others beside her. One had a mask preventing anyone from seeing his real face, one looked like he slept with Vibroswords. The one next to him looked almost normal, with the exception of the cracked, gray skin. The last one had another mask, but this one Relador recognized. It was the one his father would wear outside the house!

"Come now Lord Fretoric, take off that mask already, we all know that you only use it so that you can keep your son away from danger." Treya said calmly. Fretoric grudgingly took the mask off, revealing the same pale, smooth face that Relador had admired as a father for so long. Then the strange group of Sith Lords walked into the academy, all of them as silent as a sneaking scoundrel.

Relador awoke with a start. He knew what he had seen, and he knew what it meant. He was the son of a Sith Lord! He wondered why the Council was so hasty to sever his connection to the Force. He also wondered why it had taken o little time for him to regain the use of it. It must have been, perhaps 10 years since he was banished and forgotten. His fury rose, but it disappeared instantly when he felt the ship hit the ground.

"Handmaiden, I would like you to accompany me into Narr Shadarr. Visas will be joining us as well. Will you come?" came a voice, soft and gentle yet saturated with hidden evil and malice.

"I will come with you, but even if only to keep that Dark Jedi off of you. I must protect you with my life." Came another voice, this one of a woman, strong and wise in the workings of battle. Relador got the strange feeling that she was Echani trained. The two left the Cargo Hold, and Relador followed closely. He knew that he could get off of Narr Shadarr and get back at the Jedi Council easier if he did not travel with the other Exile, Kiertach. He set out, searching for a traveling companion, and one to teach his fighting styles to.


	5. The Apprentice

Disclaimer: Lucasarts owns all storyline events from the Star Wars: Knights of the  
Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords game, as well as locations with the exception of Reloria and all towns and cities within it, as well as all characters beyond Relador Kae and Sretheri, with more to come. And I'm sorry but I almost forgot, they also own the last name Kae.

Author: For some reason this is getting harder to write, wonder why?

Relador first looked in the cantinas to see if anyone wished to learn his Echani fighting styles. It seemed there was a bounty on any Jedi that are brought alive, put out by the Exchange. No one wanted anything to do with Jedi now anyway, not after the Jedi Civil War.

He walked into the alien cantina however, and began choking almost instantly. He called upon the Force to steady his breath and remove the toxins from the air immediately around him. He could breathe again in a matter of seconds. He stood back up, breathing the heavily-scented air. He walked around and saw no one of the correct build required for the training.

He walked out and stood near the Landing Pylons. "Why can't I find someone of appropriate build here? There are so many people that it should be easy!" he said in his frustration.

"Appropriate build for what? Jedi training?" came a voice from behind his left ear. "Goodnight." She added, sending her thumb into his neck, knocking him out instantly.

It took several hours for him to awaken. He was in the back rooms of the alien's cantina. "Where the Hell am I and why am I here?" he yelled out, attracting the attention of a particularly ugly alien of a species he had not seen before.

"Where you are is of no importance. Why you're her is because I wanted you here. Shut up before I out you in a torture cell!" the alien said, gesturing towards a red walled force cell. "I am Saquesh, the leader of the Exchange here on Narr Shadarr. You are to fight in the arena with only two Vibroblades, understand? If you win, you will work for me, if you lose, I will kill you in three days time." He added, telling Relador even more then he needed to.

"It's obvious what will happen if I lose, but what will happen if I refuse to work for you?" Relador asked, his eyes throwing daggers at Saquesh.

"I will kill you. The rules are simple: kill or be killed. Your weapons are on the wall below. You will wait until I say to attack, then the survivor will work for me. I hope you die, Jedi." Saquesh said, returning the gaze.

The cage began to lower down into the arena. He could see a beautiful young woman across the arena. "She has the perfect build! She is the one I will teach. I must beat her, then I will rescue her from this Exchange fool." Relador said under his breath so that only he could hear.


	6. The Battle

"FIGHT!" Saquesh yelled, raising his fist into the air. Relador decided not to use the swords, he hadn't used his fist in a while. The girl charged, her swords dancing slightly. "I will get out of here, not you!" she yelled, swinging her swords in an elaborate G pattern.

Relador leaped backwards, then reversed his momentum and jumped forwards, disarming the girl before she could even see what happened. "Don't worry, both of us will escape this Hell." He said quietly as his fists acted like swords themselves, twisting and turning, executing intricate twists and parries.

"Holy shit you're good! Perhaps your mind is as good as your fighting technique. I might trust you, what must we do?" she asked, her curiosity awoken.

"Let me beat you, but make it look real. Then I will use the Permacrete charges that I have in my bag to blow open the Pit's door. I will get you and we can kill Saquesh, get out of here, and I can then teach you my fighting style if you want. I'll give you details as we go along, for now just make it look real but pull the punches at the last possible second." Relador replied, pulling the last few punches.

"In order to make it look real, you will have to at least knock me unconscious, so don't pull your punches, just don't kill. I will work with you, for now." She said, pulling her punches.

"Agreed." Relador said briefly. The two leaped backwards, and changed forms. The girl, who revealed herself to be Sretheri, went to the Ataru form, mainly used for aggressive attacks. Relador however, used a new form called Rethor, a form utilizing skill more then strength and is meant to stun, rather then kill.

The two fought for hours, tiring not. Then Relador decided he was bored with this, and went all out. His speed vastly increased, his strength actually being used. He utilized all the combat skill he had, far outdoing his opponent. All she could do was stand and watch as the unstoppable force that Relador had become charged with lightning speed, striking the pressure point under the neck so hard she was knocked out cold, seemingly dead.

"Magnificent! Absolutely amazing! I will allow you to work for me." Saquesh said with incredible glee.

"I will only work for you on one condition Saquesh. Instead of killing her, you will release her into my care. I said that she had the perfect build, for my teaching. She is the only one in the galaxy, throughout all the races, with the build capable of utilizing my fighting techniques, and making her own from them. I do not expect you to understand, only to comply." Relador declared boldly, trying to do this the easy way.

"And deny myself the pleasures of torturing her to death? Hell no! If you won't work, you die, remember?" the alien yelled angrily.

"I am not afraid of death Saquesh, nor of you, nor the Exchange. If I have to, I will fight my way out of here to train her." Relador yelled back, his swords glowing.

"What the? A Jedi! Take him down!" Saquesh yelled at his Gammorean followers. They picked up their axes and charged, squealing like the pigs they were. Relador slashed several of them before they even got to do anything.

Sretheri awoke to the sounds of battle and the squeals of dying Gammoreans. She grabbed her weapons and fought alongside Relador, each using attack forms that complimented the other. It took only minutes for the Gammoreans to die.

"Saquesh, it seems your little piggy friends are dead. What now, will you fight us? Or will you be smart? Your choice, just do me a favor, pick quickly, we have a ship to catch after all." Sretheri said, her face dark and murderous.

"We leave him here to die Sretheri. We already have enough trouble with the Exchange. We don't want any more attention. We also will miss our ride if we stay here any longer. Come on, I'll weld the door shut on the way out. No amount of security or demolitions skill will get him out of here." Relador said, grabbing Sretheri's arm.

"No wait! I can get the Exchange off your backs! Just please, don't let me die!" Saquesh pleaded pathetically.

"Typical gang boss behavior. When he has his friends around, he is such a tough adversary, but when their friends all die, they cower in fear and plead for their lives. I suppose we could let you live if you'd be willing to help us. But know this, if you so much as dare to consider betraying us, I will torture you using a bit of an old method, the 1,000 slices. I suggest you researched it." Relador said, his face darker then Sretheri's.

The two walked out, leaving a devastated Saquesh to drown in his own lake of fear. "Do you think we overdid it?" Sretheri asked, looking back.

"No, he should have known that this would eventually happen. No gang boss, not even one in the Exchange, is totally immune to threat. Enough talk, you need to save your energy for after we get a ship and get our asses outta here. Saquesh was right about one thing though, we've made quite a few friends with the Exchange it seems." Relador said calmly. They found a small, empty cargo ship. Relador crossed a few wires, put in the launch codes, and flew off of Narr Shadarr.


	7. The Dark Raven

"Excuse me, but I never caught your name." Sretheri said, walking into the cockpit to sit next to Relador in the co-pilot's seat.

"Relador Kae. Sorry about what happened back there, I almost thought that the Exchange's turrets would take us down. I'm bringing us to a planet called Telos, I have an old friend I would like to see." He replied bitterly.

"Who would that be?" Sretheri asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"Atris, a Jedi Master. She taught me the ways of my heritage, my mother was Echani. Then she taught me the ways of the Force, then stripped me of my connection to it. I am going to the surface of Telos to confront her and find out why they stripped me of my power, and perhaps kill her, if she won't answer. But first, I wish to give you the first lesson of Echani warfare, the theory.

"Echani beliefs say that the way a person fights is a perfect representation of their true self. Only one person has ever made an exception to this, my mother. Revan and Malak, for example. Malak was a great warrior, but he was aggressive and impatient, showing that he was a temperate and arrogant person. Revan, on the other hand, was brilliant. He decided upon his strategy only after careful deliberation, and made sure that every formation would be the greatest counter to the opponent's. He used skill more strength, showing that he was a patient, cautious person.

"Combat can also show much more then what I have said, for example, Echani duels have revealed things such as extreme hatred, friendship, and one has even revealed the most elusive trait of a personality, True Love. Both combatants knew it. They were my mom and dad. Some would say that they were the greatest warriors, even among the Echani. My dad wasn't born Echani, but my mom trained him and he picked it up just as fast as a born Echani would.

"Now, I believe it is time for your first combat lesson. Let's go into the cargo hold, we'll have much more room there. Meet me there while I shut down the engines." Relador explained, slowly pulling the throttle towards him.

"Actually, I, yeah, I'll meet you there." Sretheri responded, her face getting a faint tint of red.

Relador only took a couple minutes to get the engine to a complete stop, then shut it down. Walking into the cargo bay, he saw Sretheri was wearing heavy combat armor and was holding two Vibroblades. "No. You'll need to ditch the armor and the weapons. Echani duels can be considered rituals. There are many different kinds, but for today, we will focus on the training ritual. Again, take off all armor. The only weapons we may use are our fists and feet, no swords, no Lightsabers, no guns, no shields or other items. Once we have both taken our combat stances, we will begin." Relador said calmly. He took off his own armor, leaving it by the door.

"Ready." Sretheri declared, her feet evenly spread out and her fists out in front of her like a boxer.

"Then we begin!" Relador replied, one foot in front, one in back. He leaped ahead, using his arms like swords, just as he did during their little duel on Narr Shadarr. Closing his eyes, he felt his way around the cargo hold, searching out his combatant. He blocked the Force, making sure that it was a fair fight. She was using clumsy punches and kicks, losing balance whenever she was parried.

"Focus, watch my movements and counter them, using as much skill as possible. Learn my movements, and use that knowledge to your advantage. Don't just watch, learn while fighting." Relador said calmly and quietly. Evidently Sretheri started to catch on, her movements became more graceful and her attacks far more difficult to predict and defend against. She eventually broke through Relador's weaker defenses and scored a hit.

"That will be enough for today Sretheri. We both have learned much, I need to go pilot us now before we drift too far. See ya later!" Relador said happily, knowing more then she did about herself.


End file.
